TRUCKING INJURIES

Driving a truck is a physical job in every sense. From shifting gears and lifting freight to maintaining your rig and visiting busy work sites or delivery locations, there are many opportunities for a trucker to be injured on the job.

We are trucker personal injury and workers’ compensation attorneys that have been representing injured truckers and their families for nearly 50 years. We represent the families of deceased truckers in wrongful death actions, and truckers with nearly every type of injury, including:

Truckers may spend hours sitting “cozy” in the cab, but even that can be the cause behind some of the most common injuries. Vibration, repetitive motion, and extended sitting periods can lead to occupational injuries and other serious health issues over time.

Sitting for a long time in similar positions, combined with poor diet choices, can result in truck drivers’ bodies losing muscle, making them prone to strains and sprains. Truck drivers can also suffer serious injuries when lifting heavy cargo or climbing out of or in trucks.

Truck drivers also often face repetitive injuries due to keeping their arms and hands in the same positions for prolonged periods.

Also, truck drivers would likely sustain severe injuries in truck accidents, including spinal cord injuries, internal injuries, and broken bones. A truck driver can also experience a whiplash – which occurs when the head and neck snap forward because of the impact, a traumatic brain injury, burns, paralysis, and in the worst cases, death.

These types of injuries can occur in a number of ways. Whether you’re driving locally or long-haul, you are at risk! Learn more about some of the most common causes of trucking injury:

• Highway Accidents
• Terminal, Warehouse & Work Site Accidents
• Dangerous Property
• Dangerous Products
• Medical Malpractice
• Prolonged Sitting
• Repetitive Stress & Strain
• Lifting & Carrying Heavy Freight

A road is a dangerous place, even more so if you’re behind the wheel of a commercial truck. Truckers are responsible for moving thousands of pounds of freight across hundreds of miles while navigating traffic and roadways, often in unfamiliar places. Their trucks have massive blind spots and turning can be difficult. In certain conditions, stopping a commercial truck can be a real challenge. Other drivers may become nervous driving around trucks or have difficulty seeing around them.

Trucking accidents and turnovers are common. Even still, out of over 500,000 highway accidents involving commercial tractor-trailers that happen every year, only 16% are the truck driver’s fault.

Combine the dangers of the road with the physical demands of trucking and you have a very high-risk profession.

However, truck driver fatigue can also be considered as one of the reasons behind injuries truck drivers suffer. Fatigue can reduce drivers’ reaction time and thus lessen their ability to drive safely and control the truck. Drowsiness can also impair judgment. A tired truck driver is more likely to cause a truck accident which, in most cases, results in catastrophic injuries.

Sometimes, trucking companies require drivers to deliver cargo within short periods, meaning they must drive long distances with little or no time to rest. But, federal laws and regulations, among other things, limit the number of hours a truck driver can work. For example, commercial truck drivers are allowed to drive can drive for a maximum of 11 hours. Although they may have 14-hour work limits, they can’t drive after the 11th hour, but they can perform other work obligations. In addition, they are obligated to take a break after eight hours of driving, and, most importantly, they must be off-duty for ten consecutive hours before their shift.

If you or someone you love have suffered an injury from a trucking accident, it’s crucial to reach out to a truck accident lawyer immediately. When truckers suffer injuries, they often lose out on wages until they recover. Workers’ compensation or other insurance payments for lost wages and medical expenses may be delayed during an investigation or while insurers negotiate liability.

Don’t leave your livelihood in their hands! You should speak with an experienced trucker workers’ compensation and personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

Call, email, or contact Hurt Trucker Attorneys online any time for more information on how we can help you pursue injury claims and receive compensation. If we represent you, we will aggressively pursue the maximum compensation available for your injuries, and we will not receive a fee until you receive the compensation you deserve.